If you’re traveling to Sardinia, you’re in luck – there are amazing beaches to choose from! But some beaches are extra special – and La Pelosa is on that list. La Pelosa beach is a must on every Sardinia itinerary – shades of blue you’ve never seen before, shallow water and unbelievable landscapes.
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Why You Should Visit La Pelosa Beach
Blue Waters Like You’ve Never Seen
I think La Pelosa beach is home to every shade of blue, even ones that haven’t been named yet. It’s unique position at the tip of the island across from Asinara Island means it forms a shallow bay with all kinds of depths and shades of sea blues.
Sandy & Family-Friendly
It can get windy in this area, but the waves are overall very gentle. This is helped by the fact that the beach is very shallow for a long stretch (at least a couple hundred feet) and is only ankle deep.
This makes it a comfortable spot, perfect for families or those preferring a relaxing, easy atmosphere over a more exotic, hard-to-reach location.
It’s also a great option if you’re on the hunt for a sandy beach.
How to Get to La Pelosa Beach
La Pelosa beach is located in a town called Stintino at the very northwestern tip of Sardinia. It’s a must-stop on any first-time Sardinia itinerary – or any Sardinia itinerary.
Arriving by Car
The easiest way to reach La Pelosa is to come by car. The drive from the nearest airport, in Alghero, is just under an hour. Learn more about renting a car and driving in Italy.
Parking is also paid and costs €2.50 per hour. There is plenty of parking near the beach, but in high season (late June to late August), it will fill up quickly.
Pro Tip: Use my favorite parking app, EasyPark, to pay for street parking as you go, saving you money!
Arriving by Public Transportation
From the beginning of June to the end of September, Sardabus offers a bus route from Alghero town center, passing by the Alghero airport and arriving in Stintino (La Pelosa being the second to last stop). This linked timetable is from 2024, but it should be more or less the same each year, so check back for an updated 2025 schedule on Google.
Get familiar with using buses in Italy before you arrive.
8 Tips for Planning the Perfect Day at La Pelosa
1) Reserve your spot
Because La Pelosa has grown in popularity in the last years and to preserve the beach’s natural beauty, there are a limited number of spots on the beach.
From June 1st to October 31st, you must reserve your spot online. There are 1,500 daily places available, 700 without a time limit for a multi-day period, and 700 that can be booked for the day no earlier than 48 hours before. The other 100 places are for the accommodations in Stintino.
Children under 12 don’t need reservations.
For adults, the day reservation costs €3.50 per person.
You will receive a QR code that you must show at the check-in, just opposite the beach. Once you show your code, you’ll receive a wristband, which an attendant will check before you walk down to the beach.
2) Follow the strict beach rules
Since La Pelosa has become a very famous beach, the town has set some rules visitors must abide by to preserve the beach’s natural beauty and the environment.
The main rule is that you cannot use a regular beach towel on this beach. You can use a microfiber towel (which is great for travel since it folds thin and dries fast) or a mat over which you can place a regular beach towel.
This is because a microfiber towel and mat do not pick up as much sand as a regular beach towel.
Be sure to follow this rule because local authorities patrol the beach throughout the day to check the towels people are using and will issue you a fine if you do not have an adequate towel or a mat.
Another rule is not to take any sand!
3) Download the Bentu App
One of our stay hosts recommended we download an app called Bentu. This app keeps track of Sardinia beach conditions based on the wind.
You just type in the beach you want to know about, and on a scale of 1-10, the app tells you how good the conditions are for going to that beach!
4) Arrive early to get parking close to the beach
There’s a decent amount of parking in Stintino, but the town is somewhat hilly, meaning the further you go past the parking right across from the beach, the more likely you’ll be doing an uphill walk back to your car.
The parking on the street along the beach is also easy to pull in and out of, whereas I noticed more parallel parking the further along the street you went, which can get hectic during the summer.
Your best bet? Arrive early to secure a good spot.
Arriving early also lets you get a good spot on the beach, which is even more important than a good parking spot!
5) Eat lunch at I Ginepri
If you’re planning on spending a full day there, you could bring your own lunch to La Pelosa. We decided to play it by ear when we visited and ended up eating at the “I Ginepri” bar directly on the beach.
The prices for what you get are a bit high, but I found the experience super worth it – you can’t beat dining with an elevated view over the beach, taking in all those shades of blues and the Asinara Island across the way!
6) Bring snorkel gear and beach games
Since La Pelosa Beach is so shallow for so long, it isn’t the most convenient beach for snorkeling. You have to swim out pretty far from the beach, which can be tough if you need to monitor your belongings.
Regardless, I still recommend you bring snorkel gear if you find that the distance isn’t a problem!
The other thing you should definitely bring is beach games. Because the water is ankle-deep for a long time, the beach is super wide and comfortable, leaving you plenty of room to have fun playing volleyball or whatever beach game you love.
7) Add on an excursion around Asinara Island
Spiaggia La Pelosa is across from another amazing and different part of Sardinia – Asinara Island.
You can DIY your visit to Asinara National Park, but you could also take advantage of sailing excursions to enjoy the area of La Pelosa and some of the wild beaches of Asinara Island.
8) If you’re traveling alone or in two, watch your belongings and get a spot close to the beachfront
This is a tip for solo travellers and couples visiting La Pelosa beach: remember to keep your belongings in sight.
The beach can get very crowded with locals and tourists alike, and you never know what could happen.
Avoid bringing valuables to the beach if you can, but if you do, keep an eye on them.
This means getting there early to get a spot close to the shore, and it also may mean that you don’t get to swim out as far as you may like.
The SGTD Take
La Pelosa is one of the more well-known Sardinia beaches, so it is typically crowded as soon as the weather gets warm and sunny.
While I normally prefer less-trafficked, hidden gems, I could not recommend enough that you check out La Pelosa Beach. The water and scenery are so spectacular that even if it is Instagram-famous, it’s worth it!
Any questions for your visit to Spiaggia La Pelosa? Ask them in the comment section!
Save this La Pelosa beach day guide to your Pinterest board!
Now you’re set for a perfect day at La Pelosa beach in Sardinia!
Safe travels,
Michela
Michela is a travel writer and photographer living in northern Italy. She is passionate about helping people make the most of their travels by sharing advice gained from her personal experiences, off-the-beaten-path destinations and memorable itineraries. Browse her top articles or have her help you plan your itinerary to your dream destination!
